


The Price, continued

by TriplePirouette



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-15
Updated: 2012-10-15
Packaged: 2017-11-16 09:25:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/537955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriplePirouette/pseuds/TriplePirouette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short continuation of "The Price," as prompted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Price, continued

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fic I wrote on Tumblr, prompted by an Anon: The price. What happens next? I need to know what he does to Regina? Or maybe Gold going to the hospital to get Belle out?

He has the Queen pushed against the counter, his cane across her throat in seconds. His manner is manic, but his tone is calm as the words slither in a deadly whisper from him mouth. “Now, dearie, I believe the exact phrase you used was ‘rest assured I had nothing to do with that tragedy.’ Tell me the truth, or I let the boy die.”

Regina shakes under him, her hands grasping at the cane and pushing, but she’s on the wrong end of the leverage and she can’t do much but gasp for breath, her eyes wide and frightened. He lets the cane back, just a fraction of an inch, but it’s enough for her to breathe. She takes in a gasping breath and sputters out a cough.

“Well?” He sneers, more and more like the conniving Rumplestiltskin she remembers with each breath.

Her chin wobbles and she shuts her eyes as she speaks. “I kidnapped her. I took her. She never died. I’ve had her. She’s in the hospital basement.”

He’s shaking, with fear or anger, she can’t tell, but his lip curls with cruelty and he presses the cane back into her throat. “If you’re lying… if you’re lying you’re dead.”

“He- Hen-” She tries to sputter out her son’s name, but the cane is pressed against her too tightly.

He relents, grabbing her arm and pushing her through the shop to his car. “If she’s alive and unharmed, I tell you how to save him.”

Regina shakes as she drives to the hospital, the gun in his pocket on top of her fear and sadness enough to keep her eyes full of tears. No one stops the two as they march through the hospital, but the looks they get- they will need to explain later.

He nearly growls as she punches numbers into a door and then brushes off the nurse as they walk past.

She stops at the unmarked door, hands him a key, and steps back.

Gold turns the key over in his hands for a moment, a skeleton key with a rose on it. It’s enough to make him shake with fury. He leans heavily on his cane, pressing the key into the lock and opening the door slowly.

She’s there. Belle blinks up at him from the corner. She’s dressed in ratty clothes and her hair is a mess, but she’s there. She nearly trips over herself as she launches from the concrete slab, flinging herself int his arms. “I meant to come back,” she whispered, “I was trying to come back.”

He can’t answer, so he drops his cane and holds her tight, holding back tears.

“Henry-” comes the choked sob from a few feet away. He’s almost forgotten about her, forgotten about Regina’s little problem in the face of his True Love back from the dead.

He pulls back, never taking his eyes from his beautiful, brave girl. “Ah yes,” he manages to keep his tone even, “the boy.” He can’t keep his hands from Belle: cupping her cheek smoothing her hair, squeezing her shoulder. “You know how to save him already, Regina. I’m surprised that you even dared to ask me.”

She stammers, no real words coming out, tears falling. Somewhere deep inside him he knows she’s broken. He understands the feeling. He understands the loss and the rage and the confusion. But she had Belle, and he has no sympathy for her stupidity right now. She knows magic nearly as well as he does. He licks his lips, an evil smirk coming to his face. “Belle, my love, what can break any curse?”

She looks back and forth between the two, overjoyed and wary and confused. “True Love’s kiss,” she says cautiously.

“A parent’s love is the truest of all loves, Regina. If your kiss doesn’t work, then you better get Miss Swan involved.” He sees the movement from the corner of his eye, but doesn’t watch as she leaves them. He knows she’s racing up to the boy’s room, knows she’ll eventually have to ask Emma to break the curse with her belief and love, but none of that matters now.

“I thought you were dead,” he finally manages to whisper to Belle.

When she smiles at him, clinging for another hug, he feels hope bloom in his chest.  


End file.
